1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to heavy bottle handling and, more particularly, to means for capping and carrying large narrow-necked water bottles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Currently more and more households have begun consuming bottled water because of the desire for pure clean water. Such water is commonly delivered to homes in plastic five gallon bottles that weigh over forty-two pounds when full. It is therefore incumbent to find ways to facilitate the handling of such bottles and to maintain the water free of contaminants.
Generally, the aforementioned bottles are provided with a plastic cap which covers the bottle opening and encompasses the top rim portion. Such caps are shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,066,820. These caps work well if the bottle is simply lifted by hand about the neck flange or about the neck and bottom areas.
Unfortunately, workmen delivering larger numbers of bottles to households and commercial establishments have experienced a high frequency of hand, wrist and arm disablements. For this reason, applicant devised a reinforced handle similar to that shown in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 277,080. This handle has a cradle portion with an opening that closely fits around the bottle recessed neck area and engages the neck flange when lifted. This greatly relieves stress on workmen's hands, wrists and arms and contributes to a safer work environment.
However, when the sealed bottle cover is removed and the prior art temporary cap is in place, the afore-mentioned handle will dislodge the cap during lifting of the bottle. This is caused by the handle cradle pushing up against the end of the tapered up skirt. It was also caused by distortion of the bottleneck area.
It will be appreciated that present day five gallon water bottles are constructed of resilient thin-walled plastic. Although the plastic is strong, it does flex under stress. When the bottle weight is shifted to the neck area during handle lifting, the neck region flexes causing the prior art caps to pop-off. In fact, the inner ring of the cap shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,066,820 exacerbates the problem since it becomes pinched and creates additional force to pop the cap.